Regulating compass



June 22 1926. 1,589,673

0. E. WINTER REGULATING COMPASS Filed May 26, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0.5 W77 fer A cg;

June 22,1926. 2 L 1,589,673

. O. E. WINTER HEGULATING COMPAS S Filed y 1922 2 Shoots-Sheet 2 0. E. VV/niar ACZQ s ream am 22, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OBKAB BDVDI' WINTER, OF STOMOLI, SWEDEN, ASSIGNOB OI our-mu TO HUT mm, 0] LONDON, GLAND.

atoms-mo census.

Application fled an :0, 1m, lerial Io. mp1, and in am a a, 1010.

The invention relates to such comp which are provided with means for automatically steering ships or registering the course of ships or the like and more arricularly to compasses of this kind in w ich the automatic regulation in question is efiected electrically under the control of a number of relays or devices adapted to be operated by radiant energy, for instance hoto-electric cells-or resistances, which are rought into operation upon a deviation of the compass needle the steering machinery or the registering device respectivel being then operated over circuits contro led by said relays. g

The present invention contemplates certain improvements in regulator compasses and control systems of the kind referred to which will be more particularly described with reference to the accompan ing drawings which illustrate schematics y two different applications of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a self-steering system for ships, and

Fig. 2 shows a combined registering and steering mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1 the numeral 1 designates the compass needle or needle system and 2 the compass card attached thereto in known manner and formin together with the needle system a. swinga le system carried by the shaft 3 of the compass the latter bein mounted in a Cardan frame in the usua wa so as to be kept continually in a vertica position. Attached to the compass card 2 is a screen 4 of a substantiall cylindrical form extending downwar s from the edge of the compass card. Said screen is provided with two openin 5 and 6 extending horizontally toopposite sides from a central unbroken section 7 located opposite to the north-pole of the needle. The openings 5 and 6 are further displaced relatively to one another in a vertical direction so as to register each with one of two electrical rela 8 and 9 mounted one above the other be ow the compass card and adapted to be operated by radiant energy from a source of radiant energy 10 arranged opposite to the relays on the outer side of the screen 4. In the example shown in the drawing the said relays 8, 9 consist of selenium cells and the source of ener 10 consists of an electric lamp. The re ative arrangement of the lamp and the screen is such that in the normal position shown in the drawing the selenium cells are screened 011' by the section 7, whereas a deviation of the compass needle to one side causesone cell and a deviation to the opposite side the other cell to be ex sed to the rays of light from the lamp. Th: lamp and the selenium cells are mounted in a common su port in the form of an arm 11 journalled on the shaft 3 of the compass so that it may be rotated round the axis of the compass for steering urpose. To this end there is provided a xed compass card 12 and a pointer 13 adapted to be set by hand on said card. The pointer is connected through a shaft 14 and a gear 15, 16 to the hub of the arm 11 in sucha manner that a certain adjustment of the pointer causes a corresponding angular displacement of the arm 11.

The selenium cells 8 and 9 are arranged to control two circuits 17 and 18 respectively each including a switchin relay 19 and 20 respectively and a feeble current battery 21, common to both circuits, said battery also feeding the lamp 10. Each switching relay is adapted to control two operating circuits 22, 23 and 24, 25 respectively for the steering machinery which in the example shown consists of two electrical motors 26 and 27 operating the rudder 28 by means of a screw gear 29, 30 and a chain 31 fastened to the rudder sector 32 and running over a driving pulley 33 and two guide pulleys 34, 35. The motor 26 is adapted to shift the rudder to starboard and the motor 27 is adapted to shift the rudder to port.

The circuits 22 and 24 are shifting circuits whereby the rudder is shifted to one or the other side upon, a deviation from the right course, whereas the circuits 23 and 25 are resetting circuits, whereby the rudder is returned to its normal lengthwise position. The operating circuits 22, 23 include contact springs 36 and 37 respective] arranged to be actuated one by each end 0 the armature 38 of the switching relay 19, which armature forms a two-armed lever pivoted at 39 and actuated by a sp g 40. Similarly the circuits 24 and 25 are controlled by the switching relay 20 by means of its armature 41 and contact springs 42, 43. The resetting cll'cliits 23 rind 25 aredfurther contrplledhlb auxi 'ary re ays 44 an 45 respective yw are of the polarized type and adapted to actuate two contact levers 46, 47 and 48, 49 respectively by means of the armatures 50 and 51 respectively. The circuits 52 and 53 of the relays 44, 45 are controlled by-the rudder by means of a switch54 attached to the rudder sector 32 and adapted to connect and circuits to a power current battery 5 when the rudder is in its lengthwise position and to disconnect the circu1ts,'when the rudder is shifted to one or the other side. The rudder also controls the shiftingcircuits 22 and 24 by means of contact springs 56 and 57 respectively operated to open said circuits in a certain angular position of the rudder. Sup osingthe ship changes its course to port, the compass needle thus seemingly d eviating to the ri ht, the selenium cell 8 will be uncovered an exposed to the light from the lamp through the openmg 6 and, consequently, current will flow through the -sw1tching relay 19, which then attracts ts armature thereby closing the shifting circuit 22 through the motor 26. The rudder will thus be shifted to starboard. Whenthe ship has resumed its course, the selenium cell 8 is again covered by the section 7 of the screen 4 and, consequently, the switching relay l9 ole-energizes and releases 1ts armature thereby opening the circuit 22 and closing the resetting circuit 23 at the contact spring 37, the closure of the latter circuit having been preared upon the energization oi the svvitcing relay 1%) by the armature 38 mtuating the armature 50 of the auxiliary relay a l whereby the armature 56 was shifted to its other position in which the contact lever 4L6 closes the corresponding contact. The rudder is therefore now returned to its normal lengthwise positionw When it reaches this position, the circuit 52 of the auxiliary relay 4:4 is closecl by the switch fi l, said circuit having been prepared upon the shifting of the armature 56 of the auxiliary relay by the contact lever ll then closing the corresponding contact. The relay upon energizing, opens the resetting circuit 23 the contact lever 46, whereby t e rudder is stopped in its lengthwise posr and at the same time the circuit 52 of re auxiliary relay ll is openecl at the contact lever 1-7.. Should the rudder reach its outorrnost position before the ship has r sume-6. the course, the shifting circuit be opened in this position the rudder actuating the contact spring 5 A change of the course to the opposite sicle will cause a similar control operation by the actiini of the rolle s and E5 and the selenium cell 9 which is exposed through the open ing 5.,

it is Wanted to change the course (left nitely, the pointer i3 is set on the corre sponding quarter of the dial l2. This Will cause a corresponding adjustment oi the arm ii and, consequently, a control operation will be started whereby the ship is caused to take up the new course. When the ship enters the new course, the selenium cell in uestion will be covered bythe section (of t e screen and thus made inoperative and the ship will then be kept in this course by the automatic control described.

.In the combined registering and steering system shown in Fig. 2 the compass is constructed in accordance with Fig. 1 the arm 11 being, however, arranged to be turned by an electric motor 62 through gears 75, 76, said motor having two operating circuits 7 3, 74 which are arranged under the control of the selenium cells 8, 9 in such a manner that the motor will be driven, lu n a change of course, in the one or the ot er direction respectivel according as the selenium cell 8 or the ce 1 9 is exposed. Secured to the shaft of the motor 62 is an eccentric sheave 65 which operates a lever 66 pivoted at 67 and carrying a drawing pin 68 bearing against a diagram paper 69. The latter is wound on a pair of rollers 70, 71 which are driven by a clockwork 72 or the like.

The rudder control circuits are substantially the same as in Fig. 1 but the control of the rudder motor circuits is here effected mechanically from the shaft of the motor 62 by means of two segments '37, 78 fixed to the shaft and two two-armed contact levers l9, 80 cooperating with said segnients. The levers 79, 80 are arrangec'l to operate in exactly the same manner as the armatures 38, 39 of the switching relays 19, 20 inll ig. 1;. Thus, each lever 72') and 60 controls two operating circuits 22, 23 and 2t, 25 respectively by means oil auxiliary polarized relays l4, l5. llhe ruclcler is here opernwd by a single motor 81, adapted to run in opposite directions, instead oi by tvvo motors, as

in Fig. l

For the purpose oi" explanation it he assumed that the ship cleri for one reason or other to port from the course determined the position of the relatively the compass needle when all parts are in the positions shown in the The selenium cell 6 will then be exposed will cause the shalt oi the inotor rotated in direction oi? arrow 62 vvhoi arin ll is turned in direction till the selenium cell 8 i oil, when the o'l current ceases the motor is stopped, this movement of the mo; the contact lever) 79 has been h the segment 7'? secs to close o re circuit 22 Wherehy'the rudder is shiiicecl to stnrhoarcl. The ship will thus he hrought hack into its original course. This change of course, on

the other hand, will cause the selenium cell 9 to be exposed Wherehy the motor 62 is rotat/ed in the opposite direction. l'his rotation will obviously continue till the arm ll and the segments 7?, 76 have resume-d their normal angular positions what occurs when the ship has resumed its original direction of course. In the normal position of the segment 77 the contact lever 79 is released and the circuit 22 is opened. At the same time the resetting circuit 24 is closed and the rudder is returned to its normal position in which the circuit of the auxiliary relay 44 is closed and the resetting circuit opened as previously explained in connection with Fig. 1. If the selenium cell 9 should be screened off by the rotation of the motor 62 and the arm 11, before the ship has resumed its course, the contact lever'will remain operated by the segment 77 and, consequently, the rudder is still shifted to starboard and by the continued change of course the selenium cell 9 will again be exposed so as to cause a further rotation of the motor 62 back to the original position. It is seen that every deviation from the course will cause the arm 11 and the screen 4 to make a corresponding angular displacement, the screen 4 always tending to resume its original position relatively to the compass needle. It is also evident that by the movements of the shaft 61 the drawing pen will draw a curve on the continually moving paper 68 which curve will represent the variations of the course. For the purpose of facilitating an exact reading of the deviations on the paper the latter may be provided with a transvers'al scale, and for reading the time a longitudinal 1 scale may be provided. In the system according to Fig. 2 a definite change of course can. evidently, be brought about by displacing the segments 77, 78 an larly as a whole relatively to the shaft of t e motor 62. To this end the segments may, for instance be pivotally mounted on the shaft in such a manner that a certain effort is required to overcoming the friction between the segments and theshaft. If the course is to be changed for instance to port, the segments are to be displaced for a corresponding angle in the direction of the arrow 82.

The above described regulator compass maybe employed also for surveying and mapping purpose, for instance for exact drawing 0 boundaries, roads, coast lines and river courses, and under s ial conditions it may be used for indicating distances covered, and so on.

What I claim is:

1. A regulator compass comprising a swingable compass housing, a source of radiant energy'mounted therein, two control relays responsive to radiant energy from said source, a compass card, a screen movable with the compass card and adapted to cover normally bot relays and to uncover one relay upon a deviation in one direction and the other relay upon a deviation in the opposite direction, an adjustable support for said relays mounted within the compass housing and rotatable about the axis of the compass,

a stationary operating device outside the lay upon a deviation in one direction and the other relay upon a deviation in the op osite direction, an adjustable support for sa1d relays mounted within the compass housing and rotatable about the axis of the compass and means for rotating said support comprising a stationary electrical motor laced outside the compass housing and a sha connecting said motor with said support.

3. A regulator compass comprising a swingable compass housing, a source of radiant energy mounted therein, two control relays responsive to radiant energy from said source, a compass card, a screen movable with the compam card and adapted to cover normally both relays and to uncover one relay upon a deviation in one direction and the other relay upon a deviation in the opposite direction, an adjustable support for said relaysmounted within the compass housing and rotatable about the axis of the compass, a stationary operating device for said support placed outside the compass housing, a shaft connecting said operating device with said support and a gearing inserted between the shaft and the support.

4. A regulator compass comprising a. I

swingable compass housing, a source of radiant energy mounted therein, two control relays responsive to radiant energy from said source, a compass card, a substantially cylindrical screen attached to and placed below the compam card and adapted to cover normally both relays and to uncover one relav upon a deviation in one direction and the other relay upon a deviation in the opposite direction, an adjustable support for said relays mounted within the compass housing below the compass card and rotatable aboutthe axis of the compass, a stationary electrical motor for rotating said support arranged outside the compass housing, a shaft connecting said motor with said sup rt, and a gearing inserted betweeen the -s aft and the support.

In testimony whereof I at'fix my si osm EDVIN wI ature. 

